I agree with this. Also use a small needle, I use size 60 when I have invisible in the top and bottom. I actually love using invisible thread. Also, use the upright spool holder when using, not the horizontal one.

Hope this reduces frustration.

Kathy, so sorry for your troubles, hope today is a new day for your machine.

When start date arrives, those of you who haven't JTG won't be lagging - I will post pics of each block, week by week, just as we did on the Jane Stickle Cyber Sew. I will show pics of my needleturn blocks, and there are likely to be others who will post pics of machine applique, so you will all be able to see how we did them. The start date was chosen to give the Jane Stickle schedule time to draw to a close, and to give everyone plenty of time to finish present committments, and to get the book so that fabrics could be collected.

Also, we knew that there would be people who had done little or no applique, and this time would be ideal for practicing the various ways of applique. If you all did your learning on your first blocks, you would probably want to redo those first ones, by the time you got to the end and had improved. This way, if you get comfortable with doing a leaf, heart and scroll beforehand, you might be happier with the first blocks.[/quote]


Leslie, I am one of those beginners and I just discovered that I haven't been getting notifications from the post so I feel like I am already way behind. Are there things that should be done prior to our start date? Pre-cut fabs or anything?

Kathy----terms here I don't know-----what is "bobbin work" and "couching" ? also, if you QAYG, will the backing need to be the same as your background color?

I'll jump in here - Bobbin work is where the decorative thread intended for the embroidery is wound on the bobbin (you might have to adjust the screw for tension on the bobbin case, so often people who use this technique have two bobbin cases). The embroidery is then stitched by machine from the back. Since you can't see where you are going from the back, you stitch from the front first with either a thread matching the background, or one of those 'invisible' threads, then when you turn the block over, you have something to follow.

Couching is when the embroidery thread is laid on the surface of the block, and then zig zagged over it to hole it in place. There are feet designed for this for some machines - they have a bar across the front with a hole in it that you can thread your decorative thread through so that it arrives under the needle ready to be stitched over. I have heard of some people without a special foot using a drinking straw taped to the bed of the machine to help guide your thread in place.

Leslie, thanks for the explanation. I am still trying to catch up on posts.

OK, so I got up this morning & turned the beast on and heard a strange noise when the needle moved into position. Not a nice noise, either. I rolled her over & shook her as I had broken a needle right before this all happened & I didn't remember finding all the needle pieces. Thought maybe it had fallen on floor or in thread catcher.

I also opened her up and sucked about 5 lbs. of fuzzy stuff and lint out of the bottom compartment! So anyway, after shaking & sucking & cleaning and everything else I could think of to do that might help, I put the bottom back on & turned her on. Changed to a regular stitching set-up and stitched away. She purred like a kitten and not a bit of trouble with the top thread bunching up on the bottom. No Dr. this week! So I finished the rest of the center 16 blocks. Have taken pictures & will post later.

Next step is to assemble the center unit as I am doing that reversible quilt method of QAYG. I don't like how the blocks look on the back, so have covered each block with another black square & will stitch it in with the little sashings.

Now I will need to figure out what I am going to do for the center unit border! Will watch Patches for a little while later. It's too early to stay & watch now! :-)

Candi..thanks for piping up! Those are great tips too...

Kathy, I'm thrilled about your machine!!! She just wanted a little spa treatment from you after you broke that needle...kinda like breaking a nail ya' know....a girl has to be pampered occasionally!! LOL!

As far as how you described what you are doing with the center section...its as if you are speaking a foreign language to me.......say Duh???? I must be stupid today or something...so can't wait to see what you are doing.

Kathy, I am so glad your machine responded to your TLC spa treatment, lovingly administered.

Thanks guys! It was a blessing to be able to sew today. I did get so much done.
I finished the 16 inner unit blocks. I didn't like the appearance of the back as I did all that bobbin work & the tails of the Razzle Dazzle show. So I cut out more 7 1/2" black squares and added that to the back as I sewed the blocks together.

What you do is cut a 1 3/4" x 7 1/2" strip of fabric & a 1 1/8" x 7 1/8" strip (I chose to use more black.) Fold the 1 3/4" strip in half & press. You pin the folded strip to the front of the block on the side you are going to sew to the next block - like right side of #8 & the 1 1/8" strip on the back of the same side lining up the raw edges. Sew a 1/4" seam. Press the back piece out away from the block. Now you pin block #9's left side to that back strip & sew it. Press it all nice & flat. The batting/block of each block will meet in the middle. Then you press the folded strip on the front over to cover the join. I am sewing it down with a decorative stitch in black thread. I am sewing both sides of each sashing.

Yes, this creates a small (1/2" wide) sashing between the blocks, so they are really 7 1/2" instead of 7". I have the 4 rows sewn together. Now I need to cut 3 - 1 3/4" x WOF & 3 - 1 1/8" x WOF strips so I can sew these 4 rows together.

Then the center unit will be finished. The only thing you can see on the back is the decorative stitching I used to sew down the sashings.

There is a tute here that sort of shows it, but her picture of the joined blocks isn't very clear. I should have taken pictures as I went along. I'll try to remember to do that while I join the rows. Technique is the same, just longer seams.

I just put up 8 more photo pages (all while watching Patches foal!!!) There are now places to post your blocks 20 - 23 and 26-29. That will cover all the center units.

The easiest way to get to these pages is by going to the bottom of any page and click on Topic List. Affairs of the Heart is the first topic. CLick on it & all AOTH-related threads are there.